Escalating Terror Attacks: NHRC Urges Urgent Human Rights–Driven Protection Framework
…Condoles with Military, State Governments
By Admin
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condoled with the Nigerian military, as well as the governments and people of Borno, Niger, Benue, Kaduna, Kwara, Sokoto, Plateau, and other affected states, over the recent wave of terrorist and armed attacks across the country.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, on Monday, April 13, 2026.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, expressed these heartfelt condolences in his reaction to the escalating attacks on both military personnel and civilian populations in parts of the country.
He stated that the Commission is deeply concerned about the increasing frequency, scale, and geographic spread of these attacks, which in recent months have targeted military formations, civilian communities, places of worship, markets, and public institutions—resulting in significant loss of lives, injuries, destruction of property, and large-scale displacement.
According to him, particularly troubling are the coordinated assaults on military bases in the North-East, including attacks on formations in Borno State that led to the loss of gallant officers, as well as suicide bombings in civilian areas such as markets and hospitals in Maiduguri.
Equally alarming, he noted, are the mass casualty attacks on rural communities in Niger, Benue, and Kwara States; the targeting of worshippers in Kaduna State; and the recurring violence in parts of the North-West, including Sokoto State, as well as recent attacks in Plateau State.
“We mourn with the families of the brave officers and soldiers who paid the ultimate price in defence of the nation, and with the countless civilians whose lives have been cut short, whose dignity has been violated, and whose communities have been devastated by these acts of terror,” he lamented.
Expressing deeper concern over the trend, Nigeria’s Chief Human Rights Officer stated that these attacks represent a grave and systematic assault on the rights to life, dignity, and security of person, as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and other international human rights and humanitarian law instruments binding on Nigeria.
He added that the deliberate targeting of civilians and security personnel by non-state armed groups is unlawful, unjustifiable, and constitutes a gross violation of fundamental human rights.
According to the Learned Silk, the Commission notes with grave concern that the evolving pattern of violence—characterised by coordinated military assaults, suicide bombings, mass village raids, and cross-regional spread from the North-East into the North-West and North-Central—underscores the urgent need for a more coherent, preventive, and human rights-based national response.
“While the NHRC acknowledges the immense sacrifices and ongoing efforts of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, we must, as a nation, confront an urgent truth: the protection of civilians cannot remain incidental to security operations; it must be their central objective,” Ojukwu stressed.
The NHRC therefore reiterated its call for the immediate development, adoption, and implementation of a comprehensive National Policy on the Protection of Civilians. He advised that such a policy must:
Place human rights at the core of all security responses
Prioritise the prevention of civilian harm, especially in vulnerable and conflict-affected communities
Ensure accountability for violations by both state and non-state actors
Provide effective remedies, rehabilitation, and support for victims and survivors
Guarantee that military and security operations adhere strictly to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution
Strengthen early warning systems, community engagement, and civilian protection mechanisms in high-risk areas
The NHRC boss also emphasised that the policy must ensure affected populations are not reduced to statistics or collateral damage, but are recognised as rights-holders whose protection, dignity, and participation are non-negotiable.
He further stated that an integrated human rights approach to national security is not a concession to weakness, but a requirement of law and a foundation for legitimacy. He noted that global evidence shows sustainable peace and security can only be achieved where the State consistently upholds and protects the rights of its people.
He reiterated that the Commission stands in solidarity with the military, affected states, and all communities impacted by the violence.
“We remain committed to working with the Federal Government, State Governments, security agencies, civil society, and other stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria’s response to terrorism strengthens, rather than undermines, the human rights framework upon which our democracy rests,” he said.
